Hyderabad’s iconic 111-year-old John Morris fire engine wins at vintage car rally

The 111-year-old John Morris Fire Engine from Hyderabad won two major awards at the Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally 2026 in New Delhi. Maintained by SCR’s Lallaguda workshop, the vehicle was honoured for age and preservation.

Hyderabad: The iconic 111-year-old John Morris Fire Engine, preserved at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi, won two prestigious awards at the 59th Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally 2026 held in the national capital on February 7.

Maintained by the technical staff of the Carriage Workshop, Lallaguda, South Central Railway (SCR), the 1914-built fire engine bagged the Indian Oil Heritage Preservation Trophy for being the oldest vehicle at the rally and the Automotive Trust British Heritage Preservation Trophy for outstanding preservation of British-manufactured heritage vehicles.

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The rally covered a 90-kilometre route from the Statesman Building to Greater Noida and back to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Originally used by the H E H Nizam State Railway in Hyderabad, the John Morris Fire Engine is noted for retaining its original firefighting equipment, including rare solid tyres and an Ajax turbine pump.

A day earlier, Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar inspected the vehicle and announced a cash award of Rs 50,000 in appreciation of its exceptional upkeep.

SCR General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava also congratulated the Lallaguda workshop team, calling the national recognition a proud moment for the zone.